


A Flash of Flames (And He Was Gone)

by Drakonian_Juice



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Plot-centric, he's super extra, kinda surprised zoom didn't think of this, leo in the flash world, no leo is not cisco, not crack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-06-18 09:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15482424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drakonian_Juice/pseuds/Drakonian_Juice
Summary: Barry raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You're the one who...who outruns the Flash." he scoffed.Leo shook his head, smirking. "I'm scrawny, not stupid, Flash. I'm the one who tells you your suit's melting off your body. I'd get it off you before the whole world sees your I Heart Speed boxers...and I see your face."Cisco spit out his coffee through Barry's comms. "OH NOOOOO HE DIDN'T BARRY! NOT AGAIN! NOT MY SUUIITT! THE ONE RULE: YOU WRECK MY SUIT I WRECK YOUR FACE"Or,Leo Valdez was your average demigod with wicked fire hands and a place in the Camp Half-Blood Hall of Fame for Most Tacos Eaten in One Minute (8.5). yup.Life was good.That was, until a blue-and-black speedster appeared on his doorstep, with an offer he couldn't refuse. No, really. He COULDN'T refuse. So, maybe Zoom had some questionable morals, dropping him in the middle of another earth, but the man was probably desperate. After all, he was...the good guy, trying to stop crime in whatever city he was in. And when it boiled down to it, all Leo had to do was simple: That red blur racing around the city?Take him out.





	1. Hard Math (see beloow)

**Author's Note:**

> OHH HOLY WOW So I wrote this a WHILE ago (like a WHILE ago) and it's so cringy and I'm so sorry. I copied this over from an account on another site and WOW ok it's really cringy. But I promise, the next one is something that's actually good, as it's more recent. 
> 
> HOO.  
> Well, enjoy. 
> 
> Also, this required some HARD MATH.

June 2016-7:06 pm

The seawater shone under the moonlight, little ripples glimmering to the shore. The dark blue was complemented only by the white of the birds who skimmed the water in search of food and the occasional gust that prompted a couple of waves to rear back. The secluded docks were a rare place, as they were saved from the usual hustle and bustle of New York. And though it was a breezy night, the temperature was said to be a bit warm for the winter.

A smooth, gray rock plunged into the bay with a splash and sank beneath the surface, causing more ripples to curl and die before they reached the sand. A flash of blue and white-no, a swirl-erupted into a pulsing, round...well, what can only be described as a portal, no matter how insane that may sound.

And then it poofed.

And nobody noticed the man thrown out onto the sand had removed his mask, gasping for air. Well, nobody noticed that...or the black lightning bolt on his chest.

It had happened in a...well, in a flash. Leo had been standing in his cabin, checking himself for his date for Calypso. He'd arrived back at camp for less than a day, and the red mark of being slapped was still there. Leo wore a collared shirt, turtleneck jacket, jeans, and his tool belt under a jacket. They weren't going anywhere fancy, just a-

The pressure dropped suddenly. Leo smirked. "Jason?"

No answer.

More tentatively. "Jason?"

Hands grabbed Leo by the chest in a whirl of blue and black. He hadn't even gotten the chance to yell before he was racing along, stopping twenty seconds later. His head spun, but he managed to catch his hands on fire. The glowing aura seemed to catch his attacker off guard and shielded his eyes. Leo reached into his belt by instinct, producing a dagger, which promptly heated up to a thousand degrees.

The man was wearing a black mask that covered his mouth with two black slits for eyes, sort of like a mix between Voldemort and a dementor. To top it off, bright blue lightning flickered around his arms and legs. In his experience, the good guys didn't have black suits and freaky dementor masks. He didn't want to throw his flaming dagger just yet, but his fingers tightened around the hilt.

"Where am I?" Leo demanded, still in a fighting stance. Even as he said it, he took in his surroundings. Brown hills rolled through the countryside, a little too silent.

"My name is Zoom." the man-Zoom-threw his mask on the ground, shaking his wavy brown hair. "As for where we are," he paused, smiling slightly. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Leo lowered the dagger, extinguishing the flames. "We're in Kansas? How? Are you-are you a demigod?"

Zoom shook his head, his dark eyes evaluating. "Ah, no. North Dakota, I'm afraid, one of the driest states in the winter. You light your hands on fire, the hills go up in flames...and I'm fine, but still. Long story short, word travels over the multiverse, and I need your help. On my earth-"

Leo's brain felt like it was gonna exploded. "On your Earth? What's going on? Take me back to camp!" he snarled, going into stab-whatever's-in-front-of-you mode. The bronze dagger passed through Zoom harmlessly, and Leo dropped the blade in surprise. "You're...mortal."

"Of sorts. I'm from what would be called Earth-2. You're from Earth...683, I believe." Zoom stood up-he was tall, taller than Leo. A good six feet, minimum. "And speaking of flames...I'm assuming you are Leonidas?"

Leo gritted his teeth. "Leo. What do you want!"

"I'm the good guy here. The bad guy, well, he calls himself the Flash. I send people to stop him, he locks them up and tortures them ruthlessly. Lead my best friend Jay Garrick to his death. Claims to be the fastest man alive, and...wants me dead. He's faster, stronger than I am. If I should return, I would be killed."

Leo's hands got hot behind his back.. "So, what, you want me to go and...and kill this Flash dude?"

Zoom shook his head, tightening his square jaw. "The Flash is what you would call...my nemesis. I'm not interested in you killing him, I'm interested in you bringing him to me."

"And...why would I help you?"

"I knew Jay Garrick better than I know the back of my hand." The corners of his mouth twitched up, as if he'd told a joke. Leo didn't laugh, so Zoom continued. "I can't let that happen to anyone again. And you...well, you came back from the dead. Your hands light on fire. I can just run. You-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, word gets around the multiverse. Sorry, dude, but no. I want to go back to my camp, man! I got a date!"

Zoom shook his head. "You don't understand. Help me first, then I'll bring you back...I don't think you'd fancy running 1700 miles."

"I'm not-!"

"Think about it, Leo. I bring you home, you…"

The truth dawned on Leo and he grinned, letting down his guard. "Wait-so...all I gotta do is bring you a monster?"

Zoom's smile grew as he put on his mask, electricity circling him. "That's exactly right. Now, grab my hand. You're about to go faster than you've ever gone before. This is more than a twenty-second journey to North Dakota."

Leo hesitated, briefly wondering why he hadn't melted this guy's face off yet, but he couldn't help relating. I mean, he would be desperate too, if something was going around torturing people, and especially if it had...had killed one of his friends. "You said you're one of the good guys?"

"Yes."

Leo snorted, grabbing Zoom's hand. "Get a better suit, dude. This one's creepy."

"Duly noted," Zoom rasped, and then Leo felt a jerk and he was gone.

For some reason, the ground was harder on Earth-1 than Leo remembered it to be on his earth. Or maybe it was because he was just thrown out of a portal at freaking Mach 3. His ears were ringing, and his knees were scratched from the asphalt, but he was grinning like crazy. It was night where he was, but the streets were deserted, except for the rare car that roared by. Leo rolled over onto his back, breathing hard and grinning.

He felt a jerk on the back of his shirt, and felt himself being lifted up into the air. His heart sped up...The Flash!? He turned his head to see Zoom's mask, somehow much more menacing than in the hills of North Dakota, so much in fact that Leo tried to scramble backwards before realizing Zoom was still hoisting up his collar. The mask tilted slightly, and the voice inside left shivers all over his body as Zoom sped away, leaving Leo coughing on his dust.

"Bring. Me. The. Flash."

Leo spent the night right where he was, which didn't do much good for his polo shirt. He made himself a fire and managed to conjure a small blanket before the belt just sputtered out. He used his jacket as a pillow, thinking if he needed a weapon...well, he hoped his attacker wouldn't be wearing a fireproof suit.

Turned out he should have conjured the knife instead.

It was nearing two AM when Leo woke with a start, struggling to breathe. Panic rose in his chest as he realized strong hands were clasped around his nose and mouth, too shocked to do anything.

Air.

He was running out of it, and fast. The world started turning fuzzy, and Leo kicked wildly. The man dropped him in surprise, cursing. A simple bandanna covered his mouth and Leo fell on all fours, coughing and gasping. He could barely get his bearings when he was being picked up again, but this time he caught his hands on fire. He felt himself being dropped again, but fell on his head this time, and pain shot through it. His vision went doubled and blurry, but he managed to stand up. "You want a piece of this?" he shouted, stumbling, flaming, through the deserted street.

The two men-no, that was his head-the man backed away, talking rapidly into...holy crap. Walkie-talkie, old-school. All too late, Leo realized what was going on. A fist slammed into his chest, which crumpled. Fire needed oxygen, and now Leo was fresh out of both. He tasted blood, but was in too much pain to comprehend what was happening. The world went red, then black…and then red again.

A blur of red.

The Flash had come to kill him.

 

Everything was blurry. Leo rolled over on his side, blinking hard until everything stopped spinning. The walls were gray and padded, and red light shone through a thick panel of glass stretched over the door. No escapes, no exceptions.

"Where am I!" Leo pounded on the glass, "Let me out!"

To his surprise, a voice answered, silhouetted against the light. "Who are you."

"You're...the Flash?" Leo masked his panic with a smirk. "Let me out, maybe I'll tell you."

The Flash didn't seem particularly interested, like he'd heard it many times before. "Are you from Earth-2?"

His voice vibrated, making Leo's ears ring, and he grabbed his temple to stop the throbbing, managing a pained chuckle. "Oh, just kill me and get it over with! I've been dead...not too bad once you get used to it."

"Are you from Earth-2?" The Flash repeated, coming closer towards the glass. Leo grimaced, trying hard not to cry out.

"Did Zoom send you?"

Leo stayed quiet against the edge of the wall. "Dude, could you seriously stop with the voice thing? I mean...I've probably got a concussion, and you're not helping. What is this, a pipeline? Double-inforced steel, milliflex on the walls...wow, I got the good stuff, huh."

The Flash turned away, resting against the side of the pipeline. "I got all day. Don't want to be locked up, start talking."

With a spurt of fear, Leo remembered Zoom's warning. I send people to stop him, he locks them up and tortures them ruthlessly. The Flash turned, preparing to leave, and he yelled, in pure desperation,"Wait!"

The Flash turned a little too quickly, and Leo smirked. He obviously wanted the answers off Leo a lot more than he was letting on, but the red blur sped back in front of the cell. "All right, let's make this fast. I got five other metahumans I have to interrogate today."

"Yeah, you know what? I've got a date in about...oh, look at that, you took my watch. That was a Rolex, dude. So, ah, why am I in here anyway?"

The Flash shook his head. "For the obvious reason. I'm assuming Zoom brought you here to kill me from Earth-2, huh?"

Leo raised his eyebrows. "Earth-2's a little high up for my taste. I'm from one of the lowly earths. 683, I think."

"Why are you here?" The Flash had put on his vibrating voice again, and it rung in Leo's ears. He felt a rush of anger; what was he doing? The Flash had killed probably tons of people, maybe even demigods. And Jay Garrick, whoever that was.

"I know the truth about you!" Leo yelled, pounding on the glass again. "I know about you, and I know about Jay! I know that you're a monster, and whatever Zoom has in store, you deserve it!"

The Flash stumbled back like he'd been punched. "What do you know about Jay?"

"I know enough," Leo snarled, "I know he was a certain someone's friend, and that a certain someone else murdered him!"

The Flash turned before speeding away, glaring at Leo. "You know nothing about Jay Garrick."

The walls closed in on Leo, now alone, making him feel like an animal. He reached into his tool belt, hoping and praying it had cooled down enough for something light, and pulling out whatever was in there...a rubber band...and a nail.

Must be his lucky day.


	2. I've Been Dead Before, It's NOT Fun.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You're the one who...who outruns the Flash." he scoffed.
> 
> Leo shook his head, smirking. "I'm scrawny, not stupid, Flash. I'm the one who tells you your suit's melting off your body. I'd get it off you before the whole world sees your I Heart Speed boxers...and I see your face."
> 
> Cisco spit out his coffee through Barry's comms. "OH NOOOOO HE DIDN'T BARRY! NOT AGAIN! NOT MY SUUIITT! THE ONE RULE: YOU WRECK MY SUIT I WRECK YOUR FACE"

Barry sped into the cortex, skidding in front of the glass and kicking it with frustration. Cisco shot out of his chair. "Woah, woah woah. Not in my lab, dude! I already went through this with Harry. Kick evil demon speedsters, not the cortex."

Barry shook his head. "He's infuriating. How old is he?"

Joe shrugged. "Maybe fifteen, sixteen? Can't be older than that."

"He says he's from Earth-683," Barry groaned, collapsing into a chair. "Do we know what he can do?"

Caitlin looked up from her microscope. "I'm probably wrong, and I'll run this again, but...he's not a meta." She looked up, slightly intimidated by the looks of surprise on everyone's faces before continuing. "So...um, why is he here, then?"

Barry sighed. "Zoom sent him, for sure. The kid said they'd talked. But he's not a meta, he doesn't look like anyone we know, and he couldn't even hold his own against a couple of guys."

"I'm getting really tired of calling him 'the kid'," Joe jumped in, "Do we know his name? Cisco?"

Cisco ran back to the monitor, flipping through faces. "Uh, since he's from Earth-683, he probably doesn't have a double here. But there is a 29% chance he's related to someone called...Simon Valdez. And since he's some weirdo from a different earth, I'm gonna bump that up to 92%. The only problem is Simon would have died, like, five years before this guy was even born."

"Different Earth, different family?" Caitlin asked.

"Wait...he said something. Said he'd been dead before, and-"

"It wasn't fun, yeah," Cisco shrugged, "We all heard it on the monitor. But seriously, I've got to know. What the heck does he do? Because this cell is meant for a bit of everything, just in case, but if I don't know-"

Barry turned to Caitlin. "What about the stuff we found in his belt? The food? What was it, a, a tart?"

"Lemon tart." she held out the yellow sweet. "Want some?"

Barry hesitated before grabbing it, and then stumbled backwards, grinning. For some reason, euphoria filled his brain, making him feel…"Powerful," he muttered, earning some raised eyebrows.

"I will pay you twenty bucks not to bite that," Joe warned.

Caitlin shrugged. "I looked at it, and unless he's keeping some kind of undiscovered element in a tart…"

Cisco eyed it. "If Barry's not eating that, I am. A godly tart like that shouldn't-oh, oh-uh oh." He ran to the monitor. "Ok, something's beeping. Some-what the-the feed cut out!"

Barry was in his suit in a flash. (Wahahaha pun intended) "What's happening?"

"You can't cut the feed from inside-"

Not even hearing all of Cisco's sentence, Barry skidded to a stop in the pipeline. The kid was still in his cell, smirking cheekily, flipping a playing card and a lighter in his dark hands. Without hesitation, the door open as if it were made of plastic. "See, Flash? That's what happens to glass on Earth 2. It–freaking–melts." Leo simpered. "I've sent monsters way scarier than you to Tartarus. Remember Ma Gasket? Not sure if you've got her on this Earth...but if you did, it's cuz of Bad Boy Leo Valdez she's not here anymore. So unless you think you can catch me..."

Barry came to his senses. Leo Valdez, he thought briefly. "Let me guess. You're the one who...who outruns the Flash." he scoffed.

Leo shook his head, smirking. "I'm scrawny, not stupid, Flash. I'm the one who tells you your suit's melting off your body. I'd get it off you before the whole world sees your I Heart Speed boxers...and I see your face."

"OH NOOOOO HE DIDN'T BARRY! NOT AGAIN! NOT MY SUUIITT! THE ONE RULE: YOU WRECK MY SUIT I WRECK YOUR FACE" Cisco's voice exploded through the comms. With a surge of panic, Barry ran up to the cortex, removing his suit as fast as possible. One leg-two legs-arms-He gasped in relief, pausing only when realizing he was standing in front of Cisco, Caitlin, and Joe wearing nothing but boxers and an undershirt.

Joe ran towards him. "Barry-"

Cisco ran towards his suit. "Suit-"

"Cisco, mourn later. He's-"

"Barry, it's fine," Cisco gasped angrily.

Caitlin glanced at him sharply. "Who are you, and what have done with Cisco?"

"The suit. The suit is fine. It's not melting. He-where is he?"

Joe looked at the monitor angrily. "The little-he tricked us. He's gone. Cisco, pull up the cameras."

Cisco left the suit, shooing Joe out of the chair and typing madly. "I can't. He did...well, he did something…God, what the hell is this!?"

Caitlin spun around. "Does anyone smell smoke?"

Barry looked around towards Joe. "Just in case we find him, get your gun."

"I'm not shooting a fifteen-year-old kid."

"Yes!" Cisco cried, spinning triumphantly in his chair. Barry went over his shoulder.

"Seriously!" Caitlin gasped.

"Zoom in on the video of the cell." Joe pointed at the screen.

"What does that say?"

Cisco double-clicked.

"Don't you smell that! It's smoke!"

"Haha...missed me? P.S….I will get revenge for my lemon tart."

"What the heck?"

"BARRY!"

Barry spun around, stumbling backwards. "Cait, calm down."

She gestured at the monitor, the corner video. "It's on fire!"

Barry felt a jolt, pulling his suit back on. "Holy-wait-" he raced off, stopping in front of STAR labs. Flames crawled up the ceiling, crackling in a red and orange symphony. Through the panic, he barely remembered to rotate his arms, though it took a while to feel the pressure and the wind started. The fire was slowly dimmed until it disappeared altogether, and Barry stumbled backwards, eyes stinging from the smoke. Cisco's voice came into his comms again. "What the actual heck? What happened?"

Barry shook his head. "I don't know...I saw him with a lighter in his cell...but he didn't have that when we searched him. Is he, what, just some crazed arsonist?"

"A crazed arsonist who knows his way around technology," Cisco corrected, "That would certain explain a lot. Like why Zoom sent him here."

"Or maybe he is a meta," Caitlin muttered, "I've been testing for our metahuman DNA. I can test for more variations. Think about it. If he's a meta from Earth-683, their particle accelerator might have been different. Ergo, different DNA?"

"Maybe, maybe," Barry muttered, speeding back into the cortex and taking his mask off. "It's a good theory. Keep running it, see if there's anything to be found. I don't like this; we can't do anything because his earth is too different. Where's Iris?"

Joe looked around. "I don't know...writing another piece on the Flash, I bet. Her boss has got her working all day and night."

Cisco cracked a smile. "I love how we can get attacked by some random meta, talk about it for five minutes, and then resume our daily lives like nothing happened." He spun around his chair, unwrapping a grape tootsie pop. "Good times. Gooood times."

 

The CCPD was crowded when Barry came, running to catch up with Joe. They slowed as they walked through the doors, but barely got a chance to greet each other before they bumped into Captain Singh, who turned around sharply. "Detective West. Barry. I'm going to need your results on the report I put on your desk this morning. By tomorrow, no later."

Barry smiled, feeling a burst of anxiety. "Uh, yeah. I'll get it to you. Before tomorrow. I've actually been working on it for the past hour."  
As soon as Singh was out of earshot, Joe grinned, eyeing Barry in disbelief. "Oh, you're in trouble."

"I haven't been here all afternoon" he gasped, "We've been so preoccupied with the kid-Valdez-I totally forgot! Do you know what it-"

Joe shook his head. "Nah, but have fun explaining."

"Wha-I can-"

"Even with your speed, it's already eight PM," Joe raised his eyebrows. "Good luck."

They climbed the stairs in an awkward silence. Barry cleared his throat. "So...how are things with Wally?"

Joe's smile darkened, and he let out a trademark dad-cop-sigh. "I'm not really sure. It feels like lately, well, sometimes I can't reach him. But," he paused. "But, you have a report to do, Barry, and you need to get on it. I can't be slowing down you down with my life."

Barry nodded, opening the door to his lab. "Oh-right! Thanks, Joe."

He gave him a pat on the back. "All right, go work on it."

The door closed, and Barry sat down on his desk, snatching the report from Singh. It was some crap about some photoelectric melanoma in some victim's cells that really should have been in the medical department, but it took him about thirty seconds to analyze. He snatched up a glass vial filled with dark purple liquid, dropping the sample inside. Realizing it would take forever to heat it up and see if it changed color, Barry looked through the window nervously...and rubbed his hands together to fast the cuffs on his flannel started to smoke.

The substance stayed purple, and Barry paused, rubbing his hands even faster now. He shook it, hard and fast, but it remained persistently indigo. He swung around towards his computer, typing rapidly...and by rapidly, that was rapidly even for a speedster. He didn't know how much time had passed before his pocket rang.

Barry jumped, glancing at his half-written report, cursing when he saw Cisco's grinning face on the screen. This would take a while. He pushed answer, put the phone to his ear. "Cisco what's up? If this can wait-"

"I dunno, Barry. We sort of found Leo."

Barry smirked. "He named himself Bad Boy Leo Valdez, right?"

Cisco sucked in a breath. "Yeah, we're gonna have to change that."

"How did you find him?"

"He likes fire, so we narrowed to down to three places-oh, actually, make that one. And yes, you have to hurry. There's kind of a building on fire right now, an abandoned warehouse."

"Villains do love their warehouses, huh," Barry joked, realizing too late it wasn't the time.

Cisco's voice sounded urgent. "Dude, you gotta go."

Barry nodded apologetically, even though Cisco couldn't see it. "Yeah. Yeah, on my way."

He hung up the phone, racing out of the CCPD as fast as he could and into STAR labs to grab his suit. He caught a brief view of Cisco's milkshake flying through the air in slow motion as he whisked by, and glanced at the monitor. On the corner of 17th and 5th, abandoned warehouse.

As soon as he arrived, he was aware of the smoke in his lungs. Taking a couple of breaths to steady himself, Barry prepared his windmill arms, only to be cut off by a sheet catching on fire. The elevator dinged, forty-five floors above. Valdez had just left, and he was on the roof. Barry took the stairs, and stopped just in front of Valdez. He turned, and, unprepared, felt a fist smash into his jaw from the back of his head. Barry tried to get back up, but a figure elbowed his head, smashing the comms.

The smoke from below stung his eyes, but the silhouette against the light of the flames was unmistakable as Leo. Barry groaned, the feedback whining in his ears and Leo looked down nervously at the broken comms at his feet. Barry pushed himself upright, and the kid jumped. His foot slipped from the ledge of the building, and pebbles crumbled towards the bottom. Leo scrambled away frantically, looking uncharacteristically scared. Five hundred feet down...and unlike him, he didn't have super speed to save him. Oh my god... Barry's eyes were fixated on Leo's feet as he grabbed the comms. "Guys!" he yelled hopelessly, "Guys, he's going to jump!"

Leo smiled uneasily, an attempt to mask his fear, but the smile vanished almost as soon as it had appeared. Barry could see the rise and fall of his scrawny chest was rapid. Unfortunately, his talent for masking emotions didn't choose this moment to shine as Barry watched, just staring at Leo on the building's edge.

Barry stood up, and Leo took a step back so he was on one foot.

"Don't do this." Barry stared at Leo desperately. "Don't."

For a moment, he could see Leo hesitate, and then something seemed to harden. Their eyes met, and Leo took another step back. He was balancing on just the balls of his foot. Just the balls of one foot...and forty-five stories below.

Barry held out his hand. "Don't do this, Leo. We can help you. Just take my hand."

"I've practiced this," Leo's breathing increased, and Barry felt a surge of fear as Leo took a deep breath.

"Leo! Don't-don't-you have a life-"

Leo put his foot back on the ledge. Two feet. It was a start. "Why are you trying to stop me?"

The comms lit up. Leo looked at them, and Barry silently cursed. He ran towards the younger boy to reassure him, and Leo took another step backwards.

Onto empty air.

Barry knew it would happen a millisecond before it did, and in slow-motion too. Leo's foot slipped, and his arms flailed wildly, but it was no use. He screamed in terror as he fell, and the sound echoed in Barry's ears as he stood, shell-shocked on the abandoned roof, listening to the sirens below.

Oh god.

Somewhere below them, a teenager had been burned and marred.

And the Flash had killed him.


	3. Politicians, Monsters, ugh. Potato, Po-tah-to.

 

Leo hadn’t died.

By some miracle. 

Before he’d smashed on the ground like a pancake, there was a moment where he was actually thinking.  And being a demigod, the ability to think while your entire brain is screaming  _ AAAAHHHHHHHH  _ is a very helpful skill Leo had developed. 

He’d seen something in a movie once, maybe Fantastic Four...actually, yeah, Fantastic Four. Human Torch lit himself on fire and soared through the air, and he watched in wonder. Leo had tried it a couple times when he little, before his mother died, but stopped when he knocked one of his teeth out, jumping from a set of monkey bars. 

It looked really cool.

And really helpful.

Like maybe if you wanted to fake your own death to have the bad guys think you’re gone leading to an awesome sneak attack via falling into a fiery building from forty stories up. So Leo had practiced and practiced, until one day, a couple days ago, he’d finally managed a couple seconds in the air. 

Still, forty-five stories up wasn’t the best place to test it.

But halfway down the fall, his hands caught fire instinctively, out of pure adrenaline. It had activated something in his brain, and he pushed up, up, up against the winds as hard as he could. For about half a second nothing happened, and he was enveloped in panic. 

_ Come on, Leo! _

Leo didn’t have time to take a breath, so he screwed up his courage in the millisecond that he had and...clicked.

Something had clicked, and then Leo was speeding  _ up _ , past buildings and roads, over the city. Giddiness expanded in him like a balloon, which popped like his ears among the clouds. He let out a whoop of joy, grinning, and did a flip...or at least tried to. He managed a half-flip before he lost concentration and his hands nearly sputtered out. 

Leo dove through the clouds, the cool wind in his face. His whole body was on fire, and thankfully the clothes he was wearing were made from Calypso’s magic thread. He stopped, hundreds of feet above Central City, and shouted in glee where no one could hear, just  for the irony... “ _ Flame on!”  _

He felt a burst of exhilaration, relishing every second. It was the same feeling, being up here, as flying with Festus. Leo whooped again, laughing freely, throwing his head back and into the wind. The moon shone brightly above the cloud cover, making it shimmer and ripple like a vast ocean, with breaks just showing little lights below. His hands streamlined as he sped, skimming the clouds. 

As he stared below at the lights glowing in the many buildings below, illuminated by the moon, a blur caught his eye, of blue and white heading towards the white structure where the Flash was. Leo sped along beside him, until Zoom eventually spotted him. He stopped, pulling Leo into an alley and removing his mask. 

Leo laughed nervously. “Hey, it’s me.”

Zoom’s black eyes relaxed into their normal brown. “Yes. Can’t have everyone knowing who I am, right?” 

“Sure, sure. Listen, this is  _ awesome _ , you won’t believe--” 

“You can fly,” Zoom nodded appreciatively, staring at the sky distractedly, as if he were expecting another Leo Valdez to come swooping from it. “It’s a useful skill, one I wouldn’t have much use of, however.”

Leo’s head bobbed up and down. “Yeah, yeah, but...the Flash thinks he killed me!” 

Zoom’s head tilted, the beginnings of a smirk showing on his face. “Thinks he  _ killed _ you. Interesting. Keep going.” A blur of red sped by them, heading towards the white building. Zoom’s head turned sharply, the smirk growing on his face, the face beneath the mask, the mask crackling with blue electricity. “That’s my cue,” he crowed, giving Leo a wink as he sped off. 

Leo paused against the wall of the alley, slightly confused, slightly scared. There was a certain way Zoom had said  _ Keep going, _ like he was trying really hard not to add an  _ or else,  _ and...about the Flash…

Just moments before, he’d tried to save him. _“Don’t do this Leo,”_ he’d said, _“We can help you. Just take my hand.”_  
The blurry face had looked genuinely concerned for a teenager who’d tried burning down his base, and speaking of which...what was his _base_ doing in the middle of town? Why wasn’t it some prison, or some, some...death trap with spikes and lasers. 

Leo shuddered, shaking his head.  _ Zoom  _ was the good guy. If he had taken his hand...the Flash probably would have pushed Leo off the building himself. 

The explanation didn’t leave him satisfied, but it was enough. Sirens raced by his window to the street back to their stations. Leo settled against the wall, at least comforted by the fact Zoom had put out his fires and nobody had gotten hurt. 

  
  
  


Leo spent the rest of the night lighting his hands on and off, jumping through the air like he was on a pogo stick. At one point, his feet had caught fire too, and he shot up in the sky, but managed to turn them off. He spent the whole night up in the clouds, a grin plastered on his face, only settling down around five-thirty, when it was still mostly dark. The horizon was just turning orange, and he felt the urge to shoot a blast of fire at it in an attempt to ignite it in a blaze of light. Leo wasn’t tired at all, despite lack of sleep, but his stomach growled, reminding him the last meal he’d eaten was back at camp. He’d lived on the streets many times before, and his first though was to check the trash cans, which unfortunately had turned black and crispy from his practice. 

He slid against the wall, his belt scraping the side of the alley... _ wait.  _ Leo nearly groaned with stupidity, reaching inside the brown leather. His belt produced a wad of fives, and Leo stuffed them all into his pocket, glancing around the deserted street. Food was his main objective, having not eaten in over a day. Keeping his head down and his hoodie up to avoid city cameras, he...well... _ walked _ down the street. 

Hey, it was 5:30, the sun wasn’t even up, and he was starving.

Nothing much was open, except a small shop called CC Jitters, which as far as he could figure was the Starbucks of Earth-1. The barista glanced at him in surprise, a sort of  _ wow-there’s-actually-more-than-one-customer  _ surprise, and Leo nodded at her warily. Actually, there was  _ one _ customer, a 20-something woman with nearly untouched coffee and a computer, where she was typing rapidly. 

The TV was on the news channel, whatever that was on Earth-1.  _...another legendary battle between Zoom and the Flash occurred last night. Whatever happened, Zoom retreated, and the Flash was victorious, but the question arises; how long until the second speedster returns? _

The barista delivered a practiced smile and Leo grinned weakly. “Uh, can I have a bagel, two croissants, and a…” Leo glanced at the menu in shock. “A...Flash? What--” 

She yawned tiredly, as if customers ordered the drink every day. “Sure, sure.” 

Leo took a couple fives from his pocket, setting them down and taking his bagel and croissant from the counter. The coffee machine whirled to life, and the lady on her computer looked up in surprise. Her eyes met Leo’s and he smiled, pulling up a chair. “Hey. Mind if I sit here?” 

She nodded, rubbing her eyes and closing the computer. “Of course.” 

“I’m Leo.” 

“Iris.” 

Leo raised his eyebrows. “I happen to know an Iris, but I doubt…” he trailed off awkwardly. “So, ah…what did you get?”

Iris laughed. “Actually, I’m not even sure anymore.” She glanced at the barista, who grinned. 

“Mocha latte with a touch of cinnamon.” 

Iris shook her head, seeing Leo’s expression. “I come here early a  _ lot _ to work on my stories. I’m a journalist, but before that I used to work here, so…”

Leo smirked. “Two plus two equals free coffee.” 

Iris laughed again, and Leo joined in, and for the first time since he’d arrived on Earth-1, he relaxed. Here he was, talking to a normal person like he was a normal kid, as if his hands didn’t light on fire, as if he couldn’t make a sword in under a minute, as if he hadn’t died and come back, as if his girlfriend didn’t use to be an immortal child of a Titan. 

Leo glanced towards her computer. “You’re a journalist? What do you write about?” 

Iris shrugged. “Mostly the Flash. A couple days ago, he was involved with an armored truck robbery. Just zipped in and out, did his job. She took a breath. “So, how old are you? Where are your parents?” 

“Uh, sixteen.”

Iris raised her eyebrows. “Okay, _ uh sixteen. _ Thinking about college yet?” 

“Thinking about my SATs. So, any new news on the Flash?”

Iris shook her head. “That’s not what I’m writing about today. Actually, it’s about Firestorm. You, ah, haven’t seen him lately, have you?” 

“Firestorm…?” Leo’s heart started sinking. “What--who--?

Iris’s voice dropped to a whisper. “There were eleven sightings of a burning man last night. Have you heard anything?” 

Leo’s mouth went dry. “No,” he said weakly, “Nothing.” 

Iris nodded, taking a sip of coffee. “Mmmmmhmm. I’m a journalist, Leo. I can tell when people are hiding something.”

Leo hesitated, Iris’s dark eyes burning into his patiently. “I--uh--” 

“Here’s your Flash.” 

Leo looked up, inwardly sighing with relief as the barista from the counter handed him a piping hot cup of coffee. He didn’t normally drink coffee--actually, scratch that. Coffee was his freaking nemesis. Face it; who would want a caffeinated Leo Valdez. Seriously.

Seriously. 

“What do you know?” 

Leo shook his head. “I hadn’t even heard the name Firestorm until this morning. Sorry. Uh, I gotta go, okay  Nice talking to you. Actually, really nice. Have a...really great day, Iris.” He took the remains of his croissant, bagel, and coffee, standing up. 

“It’s 5:30 in the morning, Leo. Got a place to be?” 

Leo stopped for a moment, glancing back and grinning. “Oooh, sorry. I’ve got a girlfriend already, and she’s  _ awesome _ . My bad. You know, I think it’s a felony on my Earth anyways, seeing as I’m only--sixt....”

The words had slipped out of his mouth, and apparently Iris heard them too. She stood up, leaving her laptop on the table. 

He dropped the coffee, hastily taking steps backwards. “This Earth. Your Earth.  _ The _ Earth. There’s only one Earth that--ah, to Hades with it!” 

Leo raced through the deserted streets, turning the first corner into more streets. A grassy field was ahead and the dew sank into his shoes. If Iris had been a monster or a politician, (what was the difference, really?) he would have roasted her butt off, but...she was a harmless civilian. 

He returned to the alley where he’d spent the night, diving into an ash-filled dumpster, peeking through the crack as the dust cleared. Iris glanced around, walking up and down the alley a couple times, before shaking her head and dusting herself off. In the dumpster, Leo let out a sigh of relief as her footsteps receded.

  
  



	4. A Flash of Hard Math

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oof i did some HARD MATH for that first chapter

     "So...what? He's just dead?"

     Caitlin nodded grimly. "It's impossible to survive that. It's...at least a 450 foot drop...into a burning warehouse. He'd have to be a meta, which I can confirm he's not."

     Barry shook his head. "I can't believe it. He was, what, fifteen?"

     "Our pyro-techno dude is-oh-h-h yes. Pyro-ki-technic."

     The door opened, and Barry spun around just in time for Iris to swivel into her chair in the cortex. "Work on it, Cisco. Actually, don't. We have more important things; Firestorm's back." Her tone softened suddenly. "And Barry, you okay? I saw that last night-you and Zoom..."

     Barry nodded, eager to get back on track. "I'm fine. But Firestorm? That's new...I thought he was still-"

     "On a magical spaceship flying through the sky? Yeah, me too, until…" Cisco tapped a couple buttons on the keyboard, and a video popped onto the screen. "I saw this."

     It wasn't much, and very pixelated, but they could make out a figure in the sky, diving in and out of the clouds.

     Joe nodded. "That's Firestorm, all right."

     "And with Firestorm, more fire," Cisco groaned, "Barry, I'm gonna need to make a few upgrades to your suit."

     Barry sighed. "Still, I can't wrap my head around this. He seemed fine when we had him, but…"

     "Who are you talking about?" Iris's tone went into journalist-mode.

     Joe shot her a glance, taking her to the side. "There was a sixteen-year-old arsonist in here yesterday, and Barry was fighting him last night, when he...dived off the rooftop. Barry's taking it pretty harshly."

     "Sixteen." her brow creased. "Wait. Do you have a picture?"

     Cisco nodded. "Yeah. We had him in the pipeline, so…" A screenshot of Leo's smug grin appeared on the monitor, and Iris stumbled backwards. "Wait, Cisco, he's not dead."

     Barry shot her a look. "Iris, he jumped four hundred feet. Into a burning building."

     "No." Iris shook her head, stronger this time. "It's impossible. I saw him this morning at Jitters."

     Cisco jumped up, the swivel chair crashing into the wall. "Waiit, what? Was he horribly burned?"

     "No, he was fine. He seemed like...a normal kid, talking about his SATs, asked what I do, ordered a Flash. Actually, he was really nice. Said his name-"     

     Joe ran a hand through his hair. "Yup. It sounds like...you just met his Earth-1 doppleganger."

     Iris sucked in a breath. "I don't think so. He said he was from a different Earth, and then ran off. I tracked him to an alley, but he got away.."

     Cisco nodded. "Yeah, and he doesn't have a dopple, remember? Unless…" he typed on the keyboard madly. "Wait, I think I-oh. Oh." Cisco raised his eyebrows. "Actually...wait, I did find a match. But he's under the name Leopold Fitzgerald, he lives in Colorado, and attends the Wilderness School. Turns out he was adopted at the age of twelve, and his biological parents...dear Spock, this kid's had a rough childhood."

     Barry turned the screen towards him, speed reading the text. "Single mom, burned to death when her workshop caught on fire. Let's see...he had a brother named Samuel, one year younger. Doesn't say what happened to him, just that he went missing when Leopold was ten. After, he jumped from foster home back to foster care back to foster home, spending less than two months at each one, until he was adopted by Jill and Alistair Fitzgerald."

     Caitlin let out a shallow breath. "Solved our mystery."

     "Wait." Cisco pointed at the monitor again, scrolling down. "Hold on, at the bottom. At the age of fifteen, Leopold James Fitzgerald was...oof, dude. Killed on a school trip to the Grand Canyon. He and two other children, Piper McLean and Jason Howell, were standing on the catwalk when it gave way, and..then there are some pretty gruesome pictures."

     "Ok. More interesting," Joe muttered. "I'd guess they didn't find the body, but-WOAH-!" he spun around, clapping his hands over his eyes. "NEVER show me that again! I'm already getting nightmares!" he gasped, and Caitlin shrugged apologetically. "Yeah, that kid is definitely dead."

     Iris bit her lip. "This is going to sound completely crazy, but...what if the Leo I talked to this morning isn't from this Earth, or the Earth Leo Valdez is from. What if he's Earth-2 Leo? And there's three?"

     Joe cocked an eyebrow. "I'm confused. So, the Leo at Jitters was from...Earth-3?"

     "It's...plausible," Barry muttered, "Was Earth-2 Leo a meta?"

     Iris shook her head. "If he was, he didn't exhibit any powers. Dad, is there any way-"

     Cisco laughed. "If there's any tech stuff you need, we are in a multimillion dollar LAB. And my technology is a wildfire begging to thrive. Wildfire. WILDFIRE!"

     Barry raised his eyebrows. "Cisco, that was so forced that it was almost like the author was just so happy they found a cool name that they squished it in your dialogue."

     "Shut up and kiss Caitlin, Barry," snapped the author, "Come  _on,_ dude! I hate having to rebuild the fourth wall every chapter!" The author huffed and disappeared, and Barry kicked the fourth wall in annoyance. 

     Joe cleared his throat. "And Cisco? Small detail, he's dead."

     "Ah-ah-ah, not he. Wildfire. Wildfire's dead."

     Iris set down her coffee. "Is there a way to find Earth-2 Wildfire? I mean, he probably would notice another doppleganger around."

     Cisco nodded. "I can run facial-recognition so-" He didn't get the chance before Barry raised a hand.

     "I got it!"

     Time slowed. Cisco's sentence slurred into silence, until the only thing left was the scarlet speedster. He started at a sprint, racing in and out of coffee shops. Slowing to a jog and weaving between frozen people in the city, and then racing up buildings, the sun shining down onto the Central City bay. He almost bumped into Captain Singh as he searched the CCPD. A thought occurred to him as he was checking high schools, and Barry shook his head in disbelief as he dodged a couple cars.

     Iris had said she'd seen him run into an alley. The closest was by the Central City Art Museum, which was having an event, he noted, before checking the sides of the building. He got lucky; a figure in rags was jumping down from a dumpster, covered in soot. In slow motion, Barry wrapped his hands around Wildfire's waist, jerking him sideways, and making the sprint back to STAR labs. Or tried to, at least. Pain flared up the arm which was holding Wildfire, and Barry slowed, the flames licking his suit. His vision went red, and he fell to all fours, dropping the teen on the ground.

     Wildfire scrambled to his feet, fire crawling...up his arm. Fire was crawling up his scrawny arm and he didn't seem to care. Barry swung his own arms, took a breath, and directed the wind towards his chest. The flames died out, and Wildfire stumbled backwards. It made sense now. He survived the fall. Flew around the city. Went to Jitters the next day...perhaps the fall had somehow given him Firestorm's powers. Firestorm.

     Barry shook his head, giving a little chuckle. "Here I was, thinking you were an old friend," he mused, eyeing Wildfire's burning hands. "Seems like you can't stay dead for long."

     Wildfire nodded, smirking. "You wouldn't believe how often I hear that...Although I gotta admit, Firestorm is a pretty awesome superhero name."

     "You...think you're a superhero?"

     He flashed a cheeky smile. "Well, maybe not as cheesy a title, but saving the world once or twice definitely helps."

     Barry tilted his head, doing a double-take. "If you've saved the world, why are you trying to kill us?"

     "Aren't you-destroy the universe-" Wildfire faltered, raising his eyebrows and lowering his hands, making the flames sputter out like birthday candles. "Are you not hell-bent on world domination, or did I get the wrong Flash?"

     A wave of relief crashed over Barry, and he stopped vibrating. Everything was making sense...why Zoom was in the city, why Wildfire had caused a fire in an abandoned warehouse, why he'd run from Iris…"You haven't killed anyone, have you," he murmured, gazing at his smirk with almost pitiful eyes. Wildfire hesitated, and that said it all.

     "Killed a couple monsters. Yet to send a demigod to Hades." His jaw hardened. "There's a first time for everything, though. Besides, I only have to capture you. Zoom-" he stopped, his eyes darting around as if he expected the black speedster to come racing out of the shadows, before shaking his head. "Monsters don't count, because if they did...I'd be on a streak."

     Streak. Barry chuckled lightly, but it quickly faded as he raised his head in realization. "Zoom. That's why you're trying to kill me. Obviously, you're not ruthless like the other metas, so what did he offer you?"

     He laughed, shaking his black hair. "I'm not stupid enough to tell you what he's giving me in return."`

     "Giving. So it is a trade…" Barry took a breath, causing his head to stop buzzing. "In...return. He's offering you return to your Earth. We can give you that. We have Vibe-"

     "I don't believe you," Wildfire snarled, but his extinguished hands said otherwise.

     Barry nodded. "It's true. We have a meta working with-"

     "Meta. What's that, some twisted version of demigods?"

     "Demig-you mean like Carter and Kendra?"

     Wildfire shrugged. "Actually...I might have heard of an Egyptian demigod named Carter. Kendra's a new name. But you are looking at the freaking son of Hephaestus right here, Flash." "Who's that?" Wildfire glanced up at the sky nervously before replying. "You know, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Zeus the uhm...lord and amazingness of the universe." He glanced up at the sky again, sort of a Is-that-enough-for-you look, but there was no one else but Barry. "What, you don't have Percy Jackson on your earth? Piper McLean? Annabeth Chase? Jason Grace?"

     Jason Grace, Piper McLean. The answer slapped him in the face. "I've heard of Piper McLean. And Jason-they're dead." He immediately regretted it as Wildfire stumbled backwards, swallowing hard.

    "Does-does what happen here affect my Earth?" he mumbled, almost absentmindedly.

     Barry felt a stab of sympathy he couldn't stop. "No." He took a breath. "Listen, on my Earth, there was a particle accelerator explosion, and the dark matter spread through the city, affecting different people. We call them metahumans."

     Wildfire's smirk reappeared. "And if I was a demigod on Earth-1, it would be the perfect cover."

     "Smart," Barry grunted. He hadn't even considered the thought there might be others like Carter and Kendra, and hadn't come close to wondering if some of the metahumans were maybe...something else.

_Barry!_

      His name jerked him out of a trance.

    _Barry, what's happening? Why haven't you been responding?_ Caitlin's voice echoed through the comms.

     Wildfire didn't even flinch or tense or run away. "Who's that?"

     "My...doctor," Barry muttered, "You can hear that?"

_Barry!_

     "I have a way with technology. Got me out of that cell of yours." he examined his hands, as if making sure they still worked. Barry glanced at them too. Callused and dirty, even his fingernails seemed like they had been forged out of oil and steel and painted over with skin.

     A different voice spoke in his ears. _Are you okay? Come on, answer!_

     "I know her." Wildfire''s forehead scrunched in concentration. "Iris. Why-"

_Talk to me, Barry!_

     "Come with us," Barry urged, "We have a metahuman named Vibe who can create portals through the different dimensions. He'll send you back."

     "How can I trust you." It wasn't a demand, more of a question.

     "How can you trust Zoom more than me?"

     Wildfire took a couple seconds to consider, the steeled up and shook his head. "I can't. But Zoom can travel between dimensions too, and he'll kill me in a blink of an eye. So...thanks for the offer."

     Barry, in a last attempt, sped by his side. "Zoom won't kill you if you're with us. Come on, Wildfire-"

     The name caused a little smile, as if he was just getting used to it. "Screw it. You're a hell of a lot nicer than having that dementor breathe down my neck. Dude, get a breath mint!" he shouted to the sky, in some vain attempt for Zoom to listen. The pressure dropped, and Barry realized all too late the call had been answered. He watched in horror as the blue lightning he'd known so well raced out of a nearby building, and then...Wildfire was gone. Barry? What happened? He'd completely forgotten about Joe, Cisco, Iris and Caitlin yelling in his ear.

     "Guys," he gasped, "Zoom took Wildfire. And you would not believe where he comes from."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yee sorry this took so long :'(. I was insanely busy this week. That's how I measure time. Via premieres, Star Trek episodes, and the time it takes for Zoom to run to North Dakota. Actually, the math for that is below, if you want to see how I figured it out.
> 
> Go on the internet, on basically any source. Zoom is faster than Wally, than Barry, than Eobard. Barry reaches Mach 3.3 in order to cross the bridge when defeating Trajectory. Since then, Caitlin and Jay invented the super-speedy thingamajigger that made him go 4 times as fast. So we know the CW Barry Allen can go Mach 13.2 by the end of season 2.
> 
> So, I made Zoom reach Mach 13.2 as well. That has him run at 10127.95 miles per hour, or
> 
> 1,687.99 miles in ten seconds
> 
> From New York to North Dakota is 1,678.1 miles
> 
> That makes Zoom reach Dakota by himself in 9:56 seconds. Rounding up, that's a 10-second trip. Add the weight of another struggling teenager, so possibly +75% for the person, 10% for the struggling, which would make it roughly a 17.686 second trip.
> 
> But Zoom wouldn't be going full speed.
> 
> Ah, yes, that's true. BUT, Zoom is still faster than Barry, so it's not full speed. It's close, because he knows how long it would take, and twenty seconds is still a long time. So he'd be going close to full speed.
> 
> Also, when Barry went 3.3 on the bridge, some of his speed was already gone, and if you watch the episode, Mach 3.3 isn't so hard to do apparently. There wasn't any crazy "Run, Barry run" moment, just like a "ok guys im doing this *deep breath* runs"...so faster than he's gone before, but not as fast.
> 
> It takes Zoom and Leo 17.686 (rounded to 20) seconds to go from New York to North Dakota while Leo is struggling.


	5. 'Wildfire''s just what special snowflake Cisco calls me

 

Passing out was Jason’s thing. Falling unconscious after getting choked, kicked off a cliff, or stabbed was his signature move, and the glory of it was that it was humiliating. Leo made a mental note to cut Blonde Superman some slack next time it happened; it was  _ not _ fun. The good news was that he seemed to be perfectly fine. The bad news was that he didn’t remember passing out, and he sincerely hoped he hadn’t been hit with a brick. (Brason had a waaaay better ring to it than Lick.) 

Through the grogginess that clouded his brain, he managed to stumble to his feet. Leo opened his eyes fully, blinking hard, a splitting headache in the works of forming. “Come on, man, can I at least get some Advil?” he murmured, but it sounded echoey. 

_ Tap Tap _

_ Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap _

_ Clink  _

_ Clink _

_ Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap _

_ Tap Tap Tap Tap _

“Will you just shut up already!” 

Leo glanced up, but the voice wasn’t directed at him. He took a moment to find his bearings, glancing around the small...glass cage. It was dark, but light enough to see exactly who was with him. Leaning in another cage, was a women in a (he had to admit it) pretty awesome suit, with snow-white hair and blue lips, like when Leo went into freezing water. Everything about her seemed  _ cold.  _ Which was probably why he wasn’t too surprised when she started twirling ice around in her fingers. 

Also, great. His belt was gone. 

“Hello?” he murmured. 

“Oh, great” grumbled the woman, rolling her eyes, “The shrimp awakens. Finally someone who actually  _ talks _ .” 

Leo bit back a retort and followed her gaze to the next cell. A man lay on the floor, a gray metallic mask covering his face. He looked straight at Leo.

_ Tap Tap, Clink, Tap Tap Tap, Clink, Clink, Clink, Tap Tap Tap Tap, Tap Tap Tap, Tap Tap, Tap Tap Tap.  _

Leo’s brain translated it as morse code...but that made no sense. “Its ohsis? Is that an acronym? Um...Hi It’s SOS. SOS? Help?” 

The man shook his head, banging his fist against the glass.  _ Tap Tap, Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap, Clink, Clink, Tap Tap-- _

“Shut UP!” The woman clutched her head. “What is  _ wrong  _ with you! Stop that!”

“Woah,” Leo muttered, “Chill, lady.” 

She arched an eyebrow. “Hilarious.”

Leo sat down. “I’m going to assume for a moment you’re not the one keeping me captive, so...what’s your name.” 

She sighed. “Killer Frost.” 

“We’re doing it that way? I’m Wildfire.” 

The word caught her attention. “You can...summon fire?” her eyes changed from bored to a little wistful, as if remembering a memory she’d concealed. Leo felt a pang as he realized why it was familiar: it was the expression he’d worn after Khione had sent him to Ogygia. 

“Yeah. Here.” he reached out his hand, and she stared, hypnotized, as the flames danced in his palm. It was nice to have light, but it was snuffed out as Leo pressed his hand against the glass. “Nice talking, but I’m out.” 

Killer Frost smirked. “I like you. So I’ll tell you that if Zoom knows you can summon fire, he would have made that cell fireproof. Just like he made mine ice-proof.” 

Leo pressed his hand more firmly against it, but it refused to melt. He shot white-hot flames until stars danced in his vision and he had to sit back down. “So mine can stand extreme heat, yours can stand extreme cold.” Leo sighed. “Wannna switch?”  

Her mouth twitched upwards. 

Leo leaned against the wall. “Now may be the time to say...my name’s not actually Wildfire. It’s Leo. Wildfire’s just what special snowflake Flash named me.” 

“I guessed...ha. Cisco ju--”

_ Bang.  _

Leo sat up, glancing at the man in the mask. “Whoa, what is it, Iron Man. Did we say something? The Flash?” 

Iron Man nodded.  _ Bang. Bang.  _

“One bang no, two bangs yes. I can work with that. Ok. A through I.” 

_ Bang. _

“J through--” 

_ Bang Bang.  _

“J. Ok. A through--” 

_ Bang bang.”  _

“J-A. Jah, Jai, Jau, Jay…” 

_ Bang Bang.  _

“Jay. Blue jay? Jason? 

He banged the glass in frustration. Killer Frost groaned. “You’re not getting anything out of him. I’ve already tried.” 

Leo groaned. “There has to be a way out somehow.” he scoped the floor, looking for any stray pieces that may have fallen out of his pockets. “If I can…” he faltered, his gaze following the pipe going through the ceiling. His senses reached out, and somehow he could see the rest of it, swiveling upwards into Killer Frost’s cell next to him. 

“We can get out of here,” Leo grinned, “I know how to get out of here. I’ll need your help, first.”  

Killer Frost was on her feet in an instant, smirking. “What do you need?” 

“This glass. It connects straight to the walls, no gaps at all. Mine are fireproof, but they would become more susceptible to shattering under extreme cold. You can freeze the walls, transfer the cold here. I’d still need something to smash it, which is where this comes in.” He pointed at the pipe. “I can sense it. It goes underneath, but it connects. You can freeze it, I’ll heat it up, and it’ll snap. I’ll break the ice with the piece, then melt your glass, and we’ll be free.” 

Killer Frost eyed him. “Clever. Cold. I like it, Wildfire.” 

The name made him flush red. “Great. Let’s give it a shot.” Leo had barely finished before the temperature dropped ten degrees.

Killer Frost smirked. “Forgot to warn you. It’ll get a little chilly.” 

His teeth chattered, but he focused and a surge of warmth went through his body, canceling the heat. “The cold never bothered me, Elsa.” 

Frost climbed up the glass, snaking its way up the transparent prison until Leo could barely see anything. Killer Frost didn’t wait to continue. The pipe shuddered, and he warmed his hands, sending waves down the metal. Leo snapped the metal clean, smoldered and frozen at the same time, and in one swing, shattered his prison. 

“All right, Ice Queen. Let’s go build a snowman.” Leo flashed a cheeky grin to Killer Frost, who groaned. He grabbed his belt, which was hanging from a pole, attaching it back to his waist. He turned to her, rubbing his hands together like defibrillators. “Clear!” he yelled, reaching forwards...but the glass was gone. 

Leo spun around. They were no longer in the prison. And by they, he didn’t mean Killer Frost and Iron Man. He meant Zoom. They were in the alleyway where Iris had chased him, back in Central City. Zoom had run him there….Zoom. The mask seemed to roar without saying a word as it always did, the bright lightning circling it, the black eyes void of color. 

“You,” Leo snarled.

“Me,” Zoom agreed, taunting him. “Congratulations. You passed.” 

“It--so Iron Man and Killer Frost--”

“Are still there. You did nothing for them. Just proved your worth to me.”

“You locked me up. You were going to kill me.”

“I  _ saved  _ you.  _ Thank  _ me.”  

Leo’s lips curled into a smile. “I’m not an idiot. Well, I probably am, but I’m an idiot who’ll never help you. Not after knowing what you are.”

“My conditions still stand. You get rid of him, or you bring him to me, or you never go home. Pick one.” he lifted Leo up, hoisting him against the wall in a blur. 

Leo’s head hit the alley wall with a snap, but he was too angry to care about the pain shooting through his skull. “You said he was a monster,” he seethed, glaring at Zoom’s vibrating mask, “You said he killed people!” 

Zoom tilted his head. “Now  _ you _ must kill _ him _ .” 

Leo kept his cool, still glaring intently into the dark holes in the mask. “It was never him, was it. It was  _ you _ .  _ You  _ were the monster.” 

“Let me make this clearer,” Zoom rasped. Leo’s ears popped as the speedster lifted his hand in the air, bringing it millimeters away from his shirt. “I don’t give people third chances. You would do well to take your second.”

Leo didn’t think Zoom would actually do it. 

_ Fwoom.  _

It was silent as the black hand connected. No traces left. 

Leo shut his eyes...for a brief pain in his side as he realized Zoom had dropped him at the last second, and his hand was now straight through a stone wall.  “You kill the Flash,” Zoom growled, “...or I make you watch me rip your friends to pieces.” 

The speedster disappeared in a flash of lightning, and Leo’s breath caught in his throat as he realized just how close he’d come to never seeing anyone he loved again. 

 

_ You deserve it baby, you deserve it all _

_ And I’m gonna give it to you _

 

_ Cool jewelry shining so bright _

_ Strawberry champagne on ice _

_ Lucky for you, that’s what I like, that’s what I like _

_ Lucky for you, that’s what I like, that’s what I like _

 

Sam glanced towards the roaring crowd, letting a smile escape his lips for the first time that night. Nobody saw him there, of course, but all the regulars knew who he was. ...Actually, just the bartender, (who wrinkled his nose whenever DJ EnTiTy said he was twenty-three,) Stell, who was twenty-one (well, nineteen, but who bought him the occasional drink), and the other six or seven people who were backstage every night. EnTiTy had his hood on tonight, headphones around his neck as he played the tracks Sam had heard him experimenting with in the past week. 

Dodging excess equipment, Sam turned back towards Tess, her green and pink hair blending in with the wild colors. “Hey, Tess!” he yelled, in a vain attempt for her to hear it over the pounding music. 

He was a head and a half shorter than her, so he wasn’t very surprised when she winked and ruffled his hair, laughing as he flushed bright red. Sam couldn’t hear her answer, but it looked along the lines of _Yo, Sam!_

“Where’s Ty!” 

Tess glanced around and shrugged, mouthing  _ Why?  _

“Tell him to cover for me...yeah, COVER!” 

She nodded. Sam expertly continued to picked his way through the equipment, heading for the bathroom. He got to the passageway before the lights flickered off, the music sputtering out. There was a collective groaning from the crowd. He sighed, turning back, preparing to go do his job. 

He never got the chance. 

Sam didn’t know what happened, just that he’d been inside...now he was outside, and facing him was a black figure with slits for eyes, no mouth, and blue lightning sparking around his body. Sam scrambled back in fear, eyes wide. “Holy--what-what did you do?” 

The mask tilted, as if in amusement, and he put up his hands in defense, slowly backing away. “Aright, man, if you want to meet EnTiTy, he’s in there. Just leave me alone, okay?” 

A voice rasped beneath, although it sounded like it was coming straight out of a nightmare. “You have not been easy to find.” 

Sam choked.  __ Look, I don’t have any cash, okay? My wallet’s inside. Let me--”  It was a blur. Sam felt pressure against his neck, and suddenly the figure’s hand was pressed against his windpipe. It was...no. He’d heard it on the news, but he’d never really...never expected… “Oh, gods. You’re him. You’re  _ Zoom.  _ You’re that-that metahuman demon speedster thing from Central City!”

 

The door opened, and Sam couldn’t have been more grateful for Stell and Ty. Their charm faded once they saw the scene outside, and almost as fast as Zoom, Ty pulled out a switchblade. “Let him go, man, okay? Sam, you oka--” 

He didn’t get the chance to finish. Neither of them saw what happened, but Zoom’s form flickered, and suddenly Ty was impaled in the chest with his own blade. His shirt pooled with blood as he fell to his knees, and Sam had to resist the urge to scream as Zoom eyed Stell as well. The blonde gave a nervous little laugh, backing away.

“Very interesting,” rasped Zoom, “Why would the two of you be together?” 

Sam’s heart was beating wildly as he struggled to breathe, and in the back of his mind, he knew he was too scared to call his training to mind, but managed a warning. “Stell, run, he’s a metahuman--” 

“No matter. The both of you is even better.” Zoom turned to Stell. “You will be motivation. His downfall. And you.” He focused back on the struggling Sam, releasing his hand. Sam felt a rush of air, and fell onto all fours, gasping for breath. “You, Samuel Valdez, will be his insurance.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so I try to make this as legit as possible, so if you wanted to know what Jay was saying in the 5x5 code, he was saying first “Jay” then “Flash” the “Ja--”. It just happened to spell ITSOHSIS in morse code, which was cool because that was HI ITS SOS. It all worked out. Yah that’s my proof.  
> Sorry this took a while, I wanted to come up with a better solution to how he gets out. Gah but DEADLINES are annoying.  
> Happy New Year!

**Author's Note:**

> have some HARD MATH.
> 
> Go on the internet, on basically any source. (At least comic-)Zoom is faster than Wally, than Barry, than Eobard. Barry reaches Mach 3.3 in order to cross the bridge when defeating Trajectory. Since then, Caitlin and Jay invented the super-speedy thingamajigger that made him go 4 times as fast. So we know the CW Barry Allen can go A-A-AT LEAST Mach 13.2 by the end of season 2.
> 
> So, I made Zoom reach Mach 13.2 as well. That has him run at 10127.95 miles per hour, or 
> 
> 1,687.99 miles in ten seconds.
> 
> From New York to North Dakota is 1,678.1 miles. That makes Zoom reach Dakota by himself in 9:56 seconds. 
> 
> Rounding up, that's a 10-second trip. Add the weight of another struggling teenager, so possibly +75% for the person, 10% for the struggling, which would make it roughly a 17.686 second trip. But Zoom wouldn't be going full speed.
> 
> Ah, yes, that's true. BUT, Zoom is still faster than Barry, so it's not full speed. It's close, because he knows how long it would take, and twenty seconds is still a long time. So he'd be going close to full speed. Also, when Barry went 3.3 on the bridge, some of his speed was already gone, and if you watch the episode, Mach 3.3 isn't so hard to do apparently. There wasn't any crazy "Run, Barry run" moment, just like a "ok guys im doing this *deep breath* runs"...so faster than he's gone before, but not as fast.
> 
> It takes Zoom and Leo 17.686 (rounded to 20) seconds to go from New York to North Dakota while Leo is struggling.


End file.
